Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Evaluation - Question Seven
Evaluation - QuestionSeven
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Preliminary Brief:
Film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character. A couple of lines of dialogue must then exchanged between characters & match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule should be demonstrated.
Main Task:
The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes (all video and audio material must be original, produced by candidates, with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source)
I feel that since making the transition from my Preliminary task to my main task my skills and techniques have developed and progressed highly.
Brief
The preliminary brief and overall task was kept very simple as we all knew what we had to do and how to execute it. We only had a limited amount of camera training but this task was well withing our range. Focusing on the continuity and camera techniques such as shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule, was the main goal and was of importance.
The main task brief seemed much more detailed to me as i knew that it was going to be a lot more work and effort. Not only was the media product going to be longer, but there were going to be more camera angles, techniques and i had to take part in a camera masterclass. However, i was much more excited to do this task than the prelim task as it was a fresh start and as a group we all knew that we wanted this to be more professional and to have a higher production value than our prelim task, which felt like a practice run to prepare us for this.
PRE- PRODUCTION
Once we understood the brief , we then had to move straight into our pre-production process. We had to run through this stage fairly quickly during preliminary task due to the limi
ted time that we had to plan,shoot and edit, however I still learnt a lot from it.Before we could begin shooting our short sequence, we were able to produce:
A storyboard
Shooting schedule
Dialogue script for our final idea.
But for the main task we also had to create:
Additional redrafted storyboards
Photo storyboards
Props lists
Casts lists
Prepare rehearsal dates
These tasks proved very helpful before production. The storyboards were made so that each member of the group were on the same page and understood the same concept of the task. In this case it was just me and my partner Edward. The shooting schedules enabled us to keep on track and time of our shots. In the main task this was vital as we had to book the tracks for one of our shots and we only had until 5pm to finish filming. I was glad that i got to use the track as it was something new that i had learnt as i we didn't use them in our prelim task. The location Reece's were vital as without knowing exactly where you were going shoot, you wouldn't have a location.For the prelim task, this wasn't as important and we just needed any classroom for our film. However, a lot more thought went into our main task location Reece as for both scenes lighting was extremely important. (Green light in workshop and natural lighting outside house) Overall, the planning for the preliminary task was useful as our main group were fully prepared for any mistakes and complications which saved us more time and we were therefore organised
PRODUCTION
At the production stage of the preliminary task we could not have a test shoot or reshoot due to shortage of time. This meant we just had to shoot the final piece, allow no space for big mistakes and really think each shot
and camera movement through thoroughly. Filming went well, apart from some time management which led to only 3/4 of our scenes being shot, but i understood my role as camera operator achieved the shots that's we wanted. Due to time restraints of the preliminary task, i felt that the main task ran much more smoothly as i was more familiar with the equipment,i knew which shots would work and which wouldn't, and we were able to take our time in making the film look as professional as possible.
The process of running a shoot used during our preliminary task was not as efficient as the main task as both Edward and i were not familiar with the equipment or the him with the continuity sheets.Edward, kept filling out every single box or each shot instead of using "ditto marks", which was time consuming Before we shot each individual shot, the director would say “sound ready, camera ready” and then name the take and then say “action.” We carried this method into the production when filming our opening sequence to a film. It meant we could check everything was ready before we shot and when we came to editing, we would be aware of what take and shot it was
From the progression from my preliminary task to the full product I have learnt in this stage that:
Time management is extremely important for organisation and efficiency within the group, and to get
Having a shooting schedule helps you keep on track with your shots.
Making sure that you always have more shots than you need to use. that when editing you have a range of shots
I must ALWAYS look at the view finder whilst recording as it is important to have the right focus in the correct composition of the frame. Also, you always want the right amount of space around the persons head.POST-PRODUCTIONIn the preliminary task we had to keep the film very simple and short. The storyline was basic as the main aim was to make it flow and too keep the continuity. The editing process made this possible through our basic knowledge of digitising,assemble edits,copy and pasting.razoring and re-ordering.From my previous editing experience i felt that the progression was great and a lot less time consuming as i knew what i was doing when it came to the basics such as digitising which only took 1 hour for the 50+ takes that we had. However, this larger number of shots, did require additional technique's and more transitions had to be used. Also, continuity wasn't the only thing that we had to think about as, making sure that the each shot flows well into the next, sound bridges,soundtracks.FEEDBACK & EVALUATIONThis was the final stage of both projects and both were vital in helping me realise my progress from the preliminary task to the main. Receiving feedback throughout the whole project is really important to keep improving it and finding out if it attracts the audience particularly in the main task.However, for the preliminary task, we didn't have to consider the target audience or any character profiles as it was constructed for media students’ learning experience to see how we handle our first media production. Therefore it taught me the technical side and meant I could take into account factors that went wrong in the preliminary task for the real full product. These factors included the focus of the camera changing and changing the microphone input.Overall, i learnt over the two projects that working with different people is always a good thing as you get the chance to work with people who have another perspective and differences can sometimes build up the group dynamics making a great final product. :)
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Preliminary Brief:
Film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character. A couple of lines of dialogue must then exchanged between characters & match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule should be demonstrated.
Main Task:
The titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes (all video and audio material must be original, produced by candidates, with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source)
I feel that since making the transition from my Preliminary task to my main task my skills and techniques have developed and progressed highly.
Brief
The preliminary brief and overall task was kept very simple as we all knew what we had to do and how to execute it. We only had a limited amount of camera training but this task was well withing our range. Focusing on the continuity and camera techniques such as shot reverse shot and 180 degree rule, was the main goal and was of importance.
The main task brief seemed much more detailed to me as i knew that it was going to be a lot more work and effort. Not only was the media product going to be longer, but there were going to be more camera angles, techniques and i had to take part in a camera masterclass. However, i was much more excited to do this task than the prelim task as it was a fresh start and as a group we all knew that we wanted this to be more professional and to have a higher production value than our prelim task, which felt like a practice run to prepare us for this.
PRE- PRODUCTION
Once we understood the brief , we then had to move straight into our pre-production process. We had to run through this stage fairly quickly during preliminary task due to the limi
ted time that we had to plan,shoot and edit, however I still learnt a lot from it.Before we could begin shooting our short sequence, we were able to produce:A storyboard
Shooting schedule
Dialogue script for our final idea.
But for the main task we also had to create:
Additional redrafted storyboards
Photo storyboards
Props lists
Casts lists
Prepare rehearsal dates
These tasks proved very helpful before production. The storyboards were made so that each member of the group were on the same page and understood the same concept of the task. In this case it was just me and my partner Edward. The shooting schedules enabled us to keep on track and time of our shots. In the main task this was vital as we had to book the tracks for one of our shots and we only had until 5pm to finish filming. I was glad that i got to use the track as it was something new that i had learnt as i we didn't use them in our prelim task. The location Reece's were vital as without knowing exactly where you were going shoot, you wouldn't have a location.For the prelim task, this wasn't as important and we just needed any classroom for our film. However, a lot more thought went into our main task location Reece as for both scenes lighting was extremely important. (Green light in workshop and natural lighting outside house) Overall, the planning for the preliminary task was useful as our main group were fully prepared for any mistakes and complications which saved us more time and we were therefore organised
PRODUCTION
At the production stage of the preliminary task we could not have a test shoot or reshoot due to shortage of time. This meant we just had to shoot the final piece, allow no space for big mistakes and really think each shot
and camera movement through thoroughly. Filming went well, apart from some time management which led to only 3/4 of our scenes being shot, but i understood my role as camera operator achieved the shots that's we wanted. Due to time restraints of the preliminary task, i felt that the main task ran much more smoothly as i was more familiar with the equipment,i knew which shots would work and which wouldn't, and we were able to take our time in making the film look as professional as possible.The process of running a shoot used during our preliminary task was not as efficient as the main task as both Edward and i were not familiar with the equipment or the him with the continuity sheets.Edward, kept filling out every single box or each shot instead of using "ditto marks", which was time consuming Before we shot each individual shot, the director would say “sound ready, camera ready” and then name the take and then say “action.” We carried this method into the production when filming our opening sequence to a film. It meant we could check everything was ready before we shot and when we came to editing, we would be aware of what take and shot it was
From the progression from my preliminary task to the full product I have learnt in this stage that:
Time management is extremely important for organisation and efficiency within the group, and to get
Having a shooting schedule helps you keep on track with your shots.
Making sure that you always have more shots than you need to use. that when editing you have a range of shots
I must ALWAYS look at the view finder whilst recording as it is important to have the right focus in the correct composition of the frame. Also, you always want the right amount of space around the persons head.POST-PRODUCTIONIn the preliminary task we had to keep the film very simple and short. The storyline was basic as the main aim was to make it flow and too keep the continuity. The editing process made this possible through our basic knowledge of digitising,assemble edits,copy and pasting.razoring and re-ordering.From my previous editing experience i felt that the progression was great and a lot less time consuming as i knew what i was doing when it came to the basics such as digitising which only took 1 hour for the 50+ takes that we had. However, this larger number of shots, did require additional technique's and more transitions had to be used. Also, continuity wasn't the only thing that we had to think about as, making sure that the each shot flows well into the next, sound bridges,soundtracks.FEEDBACK & EVALUATIONThis was the final stage of both projects and both were vital in helping me realise my progress from the preliminary task to the main. Receiving feedback throughout the whole project is really important to keep improving it and finding out if it attracts the audience particularly in the main task.However, for the preliminary task, we didn't have to consider the target audience or any character profiles as it was constructed for media students’ learning experience to see how we handle our first media production. Therefore it taught me the technical side and meant I could take into account factors that went wrong in the preliminary task for the real full product. These factors included the focus of the camera changing and changing the microphone input.Overall, i learnt over the two projects that working with different people is always a good thing as you get the chance to work with people who have another perspective and differences can sometimes build up the group dynamics making a great final product. :)
Evaluation - Question Six
Evaluation - Question Six
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
From the process of constructing this film opening sequence I have learnt a lot about specific technologies.Setting up the camera once on location, before any shooting began, i had to perform an equipment check which included:
From the process of constructing this film opening sequence I have learnt a lot about specific technologies.Setting up the camera once on location, before any shooting began, i had to perform an equipment check which included:
- Camera bag
- My Canon XHAI camera
- Battery (portable and charge pack)
- Tripod (and bag)
- Tape
- Clapperboard
- Chalk
- Lens cap
Once everything was okay, i packed away, when to our set and set up the equipment once again. Luckily we didn’t have to travel fair as our set was in the studio. Unfortunately, i am not as skilled with the sound equipment as i am with camera, so Matt was given the role of sound operator so he had to set up the Boom microphone. Although we had originally decided to not use any sound due to our non-diagetic soundtrack that would be added in post production. However, we later realised that using some of the on set sounds may benefit us in keeping the authenticity, we particularly wanted to get the sound of the nails scratching across the table, which can be heard in the being of our product.
To set up my equipment i had to follow certain steps to make sure everything was safe and secure:
Unzip the Libec S322 Tripod (Grey) case and take it out carefully. To release the legs of the tripod, i had to untwist the grips at the bottom of each leg and extend to the highest length, then tighten the grips securely to prevent it from falling or slipping. Once the bottom half is secure, i then had to repeat the process with the top half of the tripod, extending the leg length to fit my height, so once the camera is on it would be at my perfect eye line.
Unzip the camera case and unclip the strap that is holding down the camera. Holding the camera firmly by the handle i removed the lens cap and tested the shoehorn which was secure. However, in the event that the shoehorn was loose, i could easily just tighten it with a 10 or 2 pence piece. When the camera was slid onto the tripod, i locked it in from the side and tested that it was firmly safe by shaking it softly from the handle. It was. :)
I then checked the spirit level, depending on the make of the tripod the spirit level handle differs, but I had the Libec which i find to be all-round easier. The handle is just under the head or the tripod, and once the camera was in place I watched the spirit level and manoeuvred the head to the bubble sat within the middle circle, making the camera level.
Now straight, I took out the portable battery and placed it in the battery space at the backend of the camera. I put the tape in and then released the viewfinder and turned on the camera to [A] which is the best setting as it auto-focuses the camera for me without adjusting the rings.
Matt then had to proceed with his sound checks and make sure that the LDR lead was in the correct socket and that the camera was on the correct setting so the sound was being picked up from the Boom and not the microphone built into the camera. I did this by going in to Menu>setup>sound and turned LDR switch ON.
Once Matt reassured me that the Boom was working we were ready to shoot.
Production
Shooting in this new environment was highly appreciated by me as we were given a lot more time, which meant many more shots and use of camera. Working with Matt and Rachel was very useful even though i was the only camera operator, we had fresh eyes on each shot and we all came up with new and different shots. Shooting the same shots from different angles was one lesson that i learnt well during this task, as it gave a us a lot more rushes to use in post production. When analysing our opening sequence i realised that many of the shots were either the same action just filmed at a different angle or additional shots that we thought would work well, and they made it sucessful. PROBLEMS Fortunately there were not many problems whilst filming and we were extremely and surprisingly organised. The first problem we encountered was that Daniel , was unable to arrive on set until 10am due to his unexpected working hours, so that held us up buy 2 hours. However, since he started work at 4am and it was now 10am, he was hungry, so once everything was ready we arranged to get him something to eat and started at 11am. The second problem we faced was the Boom mic wasn’t working and suddenly stopped so, we had to use the built in mic. Luckily we didn’t have any dialogue to this was not a disaster! Thirdly, because the dolls button and the label had to be sewed this once again took up about 45 minutes of shooting time. However, we managed to pull through, get loads of additional shots along with the ones we wanted and we finished on time :)
Editing
Once we finished filming we had to familiarise ourselves with the software of Adobe Premiere Pro. We had previously used this software to edit our Preliminary task so getting to grips with it wasn’t that hard. The only problem was that we now had to add a soundtrack, harder effects and edit a longer film. The process of editing was pretty easy and simple once you got the hang of it.:
When filming was over we then had to digitise our rushes take by take. We did this by attaching our camera (with tape inside) to the hardrive using a firewire lead which linked into the back of the hardrive and camera. Attaching the 80GB LaCie drive was a similar process, but it just plugs into the USB port on the front of the hard drive., this acts as a usb and saves our work each time we edit something, so we have to repeat the LaCie process every time we logged on.
Once logged on and Abobe Premiere Pro was open we then opened a new file entitled Phantom Films , our production company, and this is what our film was saved under.
To digitise i hit [F5] and the digitising screen came up. I pressed the record button and played the rushes, recording and saving then take by take giving each on a new name so i knew which was which.
Once all rushes had been digitises, we started our assemble edit, in which we just placed each shot on the timeline in order from beginning to end.
Assemble edit over, it was now time to edit, cut and add effects titles and our soundtrack to our film.
The soundtrack was the very last thing to be added to our film as Matt had to record it according to the length of our film using Cubase software, and even though it was too short, using cut, paste and the razor tool we were able to make it fit the film.
Abobe Photoshop CS was also used to create the missing poster at the end of the opening sequence.
The effects that’s we had previously planned to use in our film was one that we had seen form a previous A Level Media product , however it was harder than we had anticipated as it began to look like our film was messy and full of mistakes. So we scraped it and changed our opening sequence from fast and jaggered like Se7en to slow and detailed much like Dexter. During editing i was pleased to get the chance to use more technique within the software than previously. One technique was the speed and duration change, which i used on the sewing machine shot. Slowing the shot right down to 68% gave the effect of slow piercing rather than the usual quick jab, i found to be very effective as it seemed less violent and suited the tone of the overall sequence and the Toymaker's character. The other technique was creating a nd adding titles to the film. I found this particularly harder than other elements of the software and Matt had to show me how to start it off. However, once i played around with it i was able to change the font, colours,size,opacity and shadow of the fonts and i was even about t help out other groups with their titles .
To set up my equipment i had to follow certain steps to make sure everything was safe and secure:
Unzip the Libec S322 Tripod (Grey) case and take it out carefully. To release the legs of the tripod, i had to untwist the grips at the bottom of each leg and extend to the highest length, then tighten the grips securely to prevent it from falling or slipping. Once the bottom half is secure, i then had to repeat the process with the top half of the tripod, extending the leg length to fit my height, so once the camera is on it would be at my perfect eye line.Unzip the camera case and unclip the strap that is holding down the camera. Holding the camera firmly by the handle i removed the lens cap and tested the shoehorn which was secure. However, in the event that the shoehorn was loose, i could easily just tighten it with a 10 or 2 pence piece. When the camera was slid onto the tripod, i locked it in from the side and tested that it was firmly safe by shaking it softly from the handle. It was. :)
I then checked the spirit level, depending on the make of the tripod the spirit level handle differs, but I had the Libec which i find to be all-round easier. The handle is just under the head or the tripod, and once the camera was in place I watched the spirit level and manoeuvred the head to the bubble sat within the middle circle, making the camera level.
Now straight, I took out the portable battery and placed it in the battery space at the backend of the camera. I put the tape in and then released the viewfinder and turned on the camera to [A] which is the best setting as it auto-focuses the camera for me without adjusting the rings.
Matt then had to proceed with his sound checks and make sure that the LDR lead was in the correct socket and that the camera was on the correct setting so the sound was being picked up from the Boom and not the microphone built into the camera. I did this by going in to Menu>setup>sound and turned LDR switch ON.
Once Matt reassured me that the Boom was working we were ready to shoot.
Production
Shooting in this new environment was highly appreciated by me as we were given a lot more time, which meant many more shots and use of camera. Working with Matt and Rachel was very useful even though i was the only camera operator, we had fresh eyes on each shot and we all came up with new and different shots. Shooting the same shots from different angles was one lesson that i learnt well during this task, as it gave a us a lot more rushes to use in post production. When analysing our opening sequence i realised that many of the shots were either the same action just filmed at a different angle or additional shots that we thought would work well, and they made it sucessful. PROBLEMS Fortunately there were not many problems whilst filming and we were extremely and surprisingly organised. The first problem we encountered was that Daniel , was unable to arrive on set until 10am due to his unexpected working hours, so that held us up buy 2 hours. However, since he started work at 4am and it was now 10am, he was hungry, so once everything was ready we arranged to get him something to eat and started at 11am. The second problem we faced was the Boom mic wasn’t working and suddenly stopped so, we had to use the built in mic. Luckily we didn’t have any dialogue to this was not a disaster! Thirdly, because the dolls button and the label had to be sewed this once again took up about 45 minutes of shooting time. However, we managed to pull through, get loads of additional shots along with the ones we wanted and we finished on time :)
Editing
Once we finished filming we had to familiarise ourselves with the software of Adobe Premiere Pro. We had previously used this software to edit our Preliminary task so getting to grips with it wasn’t that hard. The only problem was that we now had to add a soundtrack, harder effects and edit a longer film. The process of editing was pretty easy and simple once you got the hang of it.:When filming was over we then had to digitise our rushes take by take. We did this by attaching our camera (with tape inside) to the hardrive using a firewire lead which linked into the back of the hardrive and camera. Attaching the 80GB LaCie drive was a similar process, but it just plugs into the USB port on the front of the hard drive., this acts as a usb and saves our work each time we edit something, so we have to repeat the LaCie process every time we logged on.
Once logged on and Abobe Premiere Pro was open we then opened a new file entitled Phantom Films , our production company, and this is what our film was saved under.
To digitise i hit [F5] and the digitising screen came up. I pressed the record button and played the rushes, recording and saving then take by take giving each on a new name so i knew which was which.
Once all rushes had been digitises, we started our assemble edit, in which we just placed each shot on the timeline in order from beginning to end.
Assemble edit over, it was now time to edit, cut and add effects titles and our soundtrack to our film.
The soundtrack was the very last thing to be added to our film as Matt had to record it according to the length of our film using Cubase software, and even though it was too short, using cut, paste and the razor tool we were able to make it fit the film.
Abobe Photoshop CS was also used to create the missing poster at the end of the opening sequence.
The effects that’s we had previously planned to use in our film was one that we had seen form a previous A Level Media product , however it was harder than we had anticipated as it began to look like our film was messy and full of mistakes. So we scraped it and changed our opening sequence from fast and jaggered like Se7en to slow and detailed much like Dexter. During editing i was pleased to get the chance to use more technique within the software than previously. One technique was the speed and duration change, which i used on the sewing machine shot. Slowing the shot right down to 68% gave the effect of slow piercing rather than the usual quick jab, i found to be very effective as it seemed less violent and suited the tone of the overall sequence and the Toymaker's character. The other technique was creating a nd adding titles to the film. I found this particularly harder than other elements of the software and Matt had to show me how to start it off. However, once i played around with it i was able to change the font, colours,size,opacity and shadow of the fonts and i was even about t help out other groups with their titles .
In hindsight i have learnt?
I am much more familiar and comfortable with my equiptment and the Adobe Premiere Pro editing software, therefore when it comes to future tasks, i will have saved more time as i will know what i am doing and can get straight to work.
I have to prepare for anything to go wrong, as even though we thought we were organised, Daniel turning up later lost us time and we managed to work around it.
I should always stick to the tasks that i work best at as it helps the group dynamics more as what i am not good at someone else maybe good at it.
Always put your ideas forward as other group members may be able to develop it into a better one.
After thoroughly enjoying this experience i have now realised that i definitely want to get into the film industry whether it be through filmmaking or acting. :)
Evaluation - Question Five
Evaluation – Question Five
How did you attract/address your audience?
Once we were put into our group, Matt, Rachel and I had immediately decided to create a opening sequence in the horror/thriller genre. We had chosen this genre due to watching previous year groups opening sequences and seeing that this genre was the most successful in creating emotion, particularly fear and discomfort, which is what we wanted. Focusing on this particular genre, we had to have in mind the typical conventions of the genre that we had to include in our film. One convention that we decided on was a kidnapping, this is a popular element used with this genre and since we had researched the fairytales Little Red Riding Hood and Changeling it seemed appropriate.Having a male and psychotic villain was another element that we wanted to include. I told the group about the Ed Gein character, who's mother was the cause for his mental state, and how the Texas Chainsaw Massacre focused on and the film was very successful, so he became an influential character for The Toymaker. Having a build up and keeping the audience in suspense throughout the film was a priority for us as a good psychological thriller always leaves you on the edge of your seat. These are vital elements that our audience would expect to see from this genre, so we continued and our ideas developed and grew to reach the expectations.
Analysing our opening sequence it included the expectations of a psychological thriller. Starting with the camera work, we used extreme close ups throughout too keep the suspension up as revealing the Toymakers face would kill the tension and mystery of the film. We only ever, showed his mouth, fingers and clothing, with the exception of the external scenes where a long body shot was shown yet you could still only see the back of the Toymakers head keeping his identity and the tension intact. These shots were very effective as within the workshop scenes, we attracted our audience as they would constantly be thinking, who, what, and why he was there and in this particular place. From researching the psychological thriller genre we noticed that not only did the audience appreciate the mystery and twists of the films, but they also expect and want to see some gore and disturbing scene/shots. The panning shot of the workstation is does this lightly, as it covers the glass of wine, the needles and the tape measure, highlighting a possible drink problem, the dangerous mind of this man and the hint of limited time is shown. But if you notice a the majority of the shots are ECU which created disturbing effect, particularly the shot of the needle going into the eye of the doll, as the audience, much like my teacher, would squirm at the thought of a needle going into their actual eye. These disturbing shots are effective and would attract our audience as it is the gore and shi
vers are what they expect and appreciate from this genre. This was very similar to that of the opening sequence of the animated Coraline (2009) where the machine is making the Coraline doll except we developed it to suit our genre. However, because we didn't want our opening sequence to have blood and guts seeping everywhere even though it is expected, we decided to take it down a notch. If you analyse the film you will notice that the colour red is very frequent and can be seen on the walls, the dolls coat, on pieces of cloth on the table, the red thread, the red wine, and on the button box. This cinematography was done purposely as red is often seen as a sickly colour and it also tied in with the Little Red Riding Hood which is in the world of our film.The soundtrack to our film was a vital convention to our genre, as I ALWAYS say that creepy music will set the tone of your film, and too me creepy means a lullaby! Lullabies, fairground sounds and a simple piano tune were famously used in these movies, which create a awesome and chilling effect on the audience:
Rosemary's Baby
The Candyman
Halloween
Childs Play
Chucky
Coraline
Pans Labyrinth
The props on set played a large role in the composition of the worksh
op scene and shots. They were all precise and thoroughly thought out as we each new the exact idea of what we were going for. Before shoot, we stapled black cloth to four large slats that came together to form the background for out set and we then attached many photography, drawing, and newspaper clippings of little girls across the slats to keep the background busy. This was to give the effect that the Toymaker is twisted and obsessed and has been planning is kidnaps for a long time. This would attract the audience as the theme of obsession and twisted minds is often see in psychological thrillers, which our audience love. We also managed to find an old tabletop to which we scratch severely and tea stained it to
give it and older and used effect, also scratches in this genre are commonly associated with danger or mental illness. When we arrived on location, we added additional props to add authenticity to the set, by scattering buttons over the table, tangling thread and cloth together (twisted mind of toymaker), red wine, needles and 
we also added a sewing machine. This was great as it’s really set the mood and introduced our audience to the creepy workshop which would make them cringe all the way through. We thought it was very clever how all of these items are used in everyday life with no horror or scary connotations, yet when the audience watch and realise what the Toymaker is doing with them, its is then when they will be drawn in through fear, disgust, sickness, and curiosity of what going to happen next.....I, like many others often like happy endings to films, however, in most psychological thrillers this isn't the c
ase. In recent films like Changeling (2008) where her son was kidnapped then killed. Zodiac (2007) and Saw (2004) where Jigsaw survives and many people die. Therefore, keeping with and realising the success of these movies, we chose to end the movie similarly to Changeling, yet have it so the parents get closure and the killer is found. Due to recent social build up of neglected and kidnapped children which were inspirations for our film, we felt that the audience would appreciate the ending yet twisting to give it a disturbing and psychological end.Overall, our film has successfully addressed and attracted our target audience as it has Incorporated a balance of typical codes and conventions of psychological thrillers, whilst adding our own and developing additional twist to previously used elements to appeal and grip our audience.
Evaluation - Question Four
Evaluation – Question Four
Who would be the audience for your media product?
PRIMARY AUDIENCE PROFILE:FemaleAged 18-35FemaleAged 18-35Any ethnic background but English language is necessary in order to understand the filmIdealistic lifestyle includes having children/planning to have children or a family based routine Enjoys riddles and mystery, smart and interested in psychological thrillers.
These all contribute to our primary audiences expectations and enjoyment of the psychological thriller genre. We chose women as our primary audience as the film revolve around the parents trying to find their kidnapped child Amy. As it focus' primarily on the mother, women would be able to familiarise themselves with her character and therefore feel more empathy. Additionally, because our film is one where the audience will be guessing the whole way through our audience will be intrigued and be eager to know the end of the film.
SECONDARY AUDIENCE PROFILE:
Male18-40Ethnic background irrelevant as long as English is one of their languagesLifestyle includes reading and solving puzzles/riddles, they will enjoy thinking of the ending of a film when it's only just begun etc.
Films both audiences would have seen and enjoyed recently would be these as follow.
If you click the links to the following films, they will take you to the IMDb websites. Here you will notice that each of these films share the same elements, scenes, equilibrium's and keywords such as tense, mystery, kidnap and 'twist at the end'. Therefore, making our film a perfect choice for our psychological film loving audience!
*Zodiac
*The Hills Run Red-this film in particular has the soundtrack that we originally wanted for our film.
*The Hills Run Red-this film in particular has the soundtrack that we originally wanted for our film.
Evaulation - Question Three
Evaluation – Question Three
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film is low budget student film and due to it being independent and not well known it is unlikely to be shown in large chain cinemas such as The Odeon, Vue and Cineworld. Unlike big blockbuster movie our film didn't cast Hollywood actors so it will not be distributed like a big blockbuster movie. Therefore, if it were to be distributed it would have to be done on a lower scale with particular distributors that cater for low budget independent student films.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Our film is low budget student film and due to it being independent and not well known it is unlikely to be shown in large chain cinemas such as The Odeon, Vue and Cineworld. Unlike big blockbuster movie our film didn't cast Hollywood actors so it will not be distributed like a big blockbuster movie. Therefore, if it were to be distributed it would have to be done on a lower scale with particular distributors that cater for low budget independent student films.
“Vertical integration used to rule the film industry as it would help promote better financial growth and efficiency in their companies and films. 'the studios' control over distribution was greatly weakened in the U.S. when in 1948 the court case United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. forced the major film studios to sell all their theatres”.
Today major studios and independent production companies compete for screens in theatre, which is a positive thing as it allows other filmmakers like us to get the chance for new films and talent to be exhibited. The film distributor plays a massive and important role in the film industry. The sole purpose of the distributor is to convince the exhibitor like The Odeon to 'rent' or screen your film. Using several marketing techniques, the distributor makes the exhibitor believe they will profit financially by showing the film. Once a contract is signed the film is shipped and advertised globally through digital distribution as well as posters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, television commercials, trailers, and other types of ads whils
t making sure that the film is in fact shown in the particular theatre. In our case, Silent Play may be shown in The Greenwich Picturehouse which has 5 screens and will show a range of mainstream releases, foreign language and independent cinema, special seasons and visiting festivals. Other festivals that would be interested in screening our film would be Exposures, the UK’s largest festival of student image work, which takes place every year in Manchester, or Screen test. which provides the opportunity for students from across the country to screen their work in , meet other student filmmakers. One institution that would be interested in distributing our film would be THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE which is a large filming institute that pr
omotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's film and television heritage and culture to the widest possible range of British and world cinema. Another type of media institution that would consider distributing our film would be a distributor such as Dogwoof. It’s a UK based film distributor specialising in social issue films, documentaries, independent films and world cinema. Whist researching on their website, http://www.dogwoof.com/indie/, they say that 'We are also constantly trying new technologies, and new business models, which offer endless opportunities for independent distribution.' Their films often cover the themes of social and environmental issues so maybe our film about a psycho kidnapping toymaker might not attract them as much as The Age of Stupid. click here for trailer. However, they have recently set up Dogwoof Indie “to support independent filmmakers and promote fresh talent in the film industry.” They launched it after the success of a film and now aim for Hybrid Distribution (cinema, DVD and internet VOD). This would be extremely effective for our film as it would reach a wider audience not only at the cinema but within homes as well. Another willing distributor would be Guerilla Films, previously a production company, Guerilla Films is a UK based distribution company and since 1999 made it their sole purpose to distribute British & Irish films within the UK & Ireland. I found that their films have been screened in all the leading UK chains - UGC, Cineworld, Odeon, UCI and VUE as well as numerous independent cinemas which would also be great exposure for our film as it would be expanded to a wider audience and may convince them that our film is of a higher production value. A final potential way for our film to be distributed could be through the internet, one distributor could be http://www.undergroundfilm.com/ who concentrate on independent film distribution the internet. However, a better known site would be YouTube. Using YouTube would be a fast, cheap and accessible way to get a film out on a more global scale due to word of mouth, emails and our viewing figures. But that's the only problem, since YouTube has over 200 million videos it would be massive.jpg)
competitions to get the hits that we need to get it exhibited on a large scale and hit every audience. Overall, getting your film distributed isn't as easy as it all sounds, as its is a much longer process, then I have written including methods of licensing , marketing, copyrighting and logistics. But before all of that you have to convince a distributor that's your film is good enough for them to get the distribution 'wheels in motion', and of course it HAS to be good otherwise....who’s going to watch it ?!
Today major studios and independent production companies compete for screens in theatre, which is a positive thing as it allows other filmmakers like us to get the chance for new films and talent to be exhibited. The film distributor plays a massive and important role in the film industry. The sole purpose of the distributor is to convince the exhibitor like The Odeon to 'rent' or screen your film. Using several marketing techniques, the distributor makes the exhibitor believe they will profit financially by showing the film. Once a contract is signed the film is shipped and advertised globally through digital distribution as well as posters, newspaper and magazine advertisements, television commercials, trailers, and other types of ads whils
t making sure that the film is in fact shown in the particular theatre. In our case, Silent Play may be shown in The Greenwich Picturehouse which has 5 screens and will show a range of mainstream releases, foreign language and independent cinema, special seasons and visiting festivals. Other festivals that would be interested in screening our film would be Exposures, the UK’s largest festival of student image work, which takes place every year in Manchester, or Screen test. which provides the opportunity for students from across the country to screen their work in , meet other student filmmakers. One institution that would be interested in distributing our film would be THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE which is a large filming institute that pr
omotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's film and television heritage and culture to the widest possible range of British and world cinema. Another type of media institution that would consider distributing our film would be a distributor such as Dogwoof. It’s a UK based film distributor specialising in social issue films, documentaries, independent films and world cinema. Whist researching on their website, http://www.dogwoof.com/indie/, they say that 'We are also constantly trying new technologies, and new business models, which offer endless opportunities for independent distribution.' Their films often cover the themes of social and environmental issues so maybe our film about a psycho kidnapping toymaker might not attract them as much as The Age of Stupid. click here for trailer. However, they have recently set up Dogwoof Indie “to support independent filmmakers and promote fresh talent in the film industry.” They launched it after the success of a film and now aim for Hybrid Distribution (cinema, DVD and internet VOD). This would be extremely effective for our film as it would reach a wider audience not only at the cinema but within homes as well. Another willing distributor would be Guerilla Films, previously a production company, Guerilla Films is a UK based distribution company and since 1999 made it their sole purpose to distribute British & Irish films within the UK & Ireland. I found that their films have been screened in all the leading UK chains - UGC, Cineworld, Odeon, UCI and VUE as well as numerous independent cinemas which would also be great exposure for our film as it would be expanded to a wider audience and may convince them that our film is of a higher production value. A final potential way for our film to be distributed could be through the internet, one distributor could be http://www.undergroundfilm.com/ who concentrate on independent film distribution the internet. However, a better known site would be YouTube. Using YouTube would be a fast, cheap and accessible way to get a film out on a more global scale due to word of mouth, emails and our viewing figures. But that's the only problem, since YouTube has over 200 million videos it would be massive.jpg)
competitions to get the hits that we need to get it exhibited on a large scale and hit every audience. Overall, getting your film distributed isn't as easy as it all sounds, as its is a much longer process, then I have written including methods of licensing , marketing, copyrighting and logistics. But before all of that you have to convince a distributor that's your film is good enough for them to get the distribution 'wheels in motion', and of course it HAS to be good otherwise....who’s going to watch it ?!
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